Device to prevent robberies



March 18, 19z4.- 1,487,397

J. MITTNACHT, JR

DEVICE TO PREVENT ROBBERIES Filed Dec. 13. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 4. g entoz 1 i Jafin MiinaaAZJ f 2 I (llitozuu;

March 18, 1924. 1,487,397

J. MITTNACHT, JR

DEVICE TO PREVENT ROBBERIES Filed Dec. 13, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet? i/ZO J] 2 I o o o 05% gnvewtoz (/2572 M'Zbzaoiijdi Patented Mar. '18, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN MITTNACHT, JR, OF CATO, WISCONSIN.

DEVICE TO PREVENT ROBBERIES.

Application filed December 13, 1922. Serial No. 606,720.

T 0 all whom 2'25 may concern.

Be it known that JOHN MITTNAOHT, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cato, in the county of Manitowoc and State of Wisconsin, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices to Prevent Robberies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a bank or railway mail car protecting device.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means for installation in banks, bonding houses, railway mail cars and other places both public and private where large amounts of money are contained, which will prevent bank thieves, bandits and others from entering said places and escaping with the contents thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steel cage, which can be installed in any convenient place within a bank or other building, so that a guard positioned therein can have an unobstructed view of the interior of the bank or other building, and in case of an attempted robbery of the bank, the guard who is positioned within the steel casing and therefore is not visible to the robbers, canopen fire on same through suitable gun ports provided in the side of the steel casing.

A. still further object of the invention is to provide a steel casing of the above stated character which is provided with a door on one side through which admittance may be gained to the interior of the steel casing or room, means for fastening the said door securely in position by the guard therein, and a manhole formed in the bottom of the steel casing, so that the steel casing can be positioned over a trap door and if so desired, the guard within the steel casing can pass from same through the trap door and thus reach the exterior of the building and sound an alarm.

And a still further object of the invention is to rovide means within the steel cage where y the guard therein may, when he so desires, climb through the top of the steel casing so that he will be elevated above the head of the robbers and other persons within the bank, and will. therefore have an unobstructed view of the proceedings going on within the building.

An additional object of my invention is to provide an alarm within the steel casing, which can be operated to ring when the bank teller, paying teller or other clerks within the bank closes a circuit switch which can be conveniently placed at the foot of each clerk in the bank, so that upon an attempted robbery of the bank, the said clerk can instantly close the switch, thereby ringing the bell within the casing and warning the guard therein that an attempted robbery is about to take place.

These and like objects of the invention will be better understood as the description proceeds and as is specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and which clearly illustrates the construction of my invention. V

Figure 1 is a front elevation of easing constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section therethrough.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view with the cover of the casing removed, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the casing showing one of the gun ports extending therethrough and means for closing same.

Referring to the drawing in detail, like numerals will be used to designate like parts in the different views. I

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates as a whole my improved steel casing, which is mounted upon short legs 2 and is provided with a hinged door 3, having a lock 4 therefor. In order to camouflage the steel casing and to make same attractive in appearance, any suitable design can be used on the front, such as I have indicated in Fig. 1, wherein the upper portion of the casing above the door is provided with a banner 5 having bars thereon, and in which are positioned at least three stars, each of which is provided with an opening 6, which is to be formed large enough to permit a gun to be moved therethrough, while the lower portion of the casing adjacent the door is provided with an American flag as indicated by the numeral 7, and the portion of the flag containing the stars is also designed to have at least three stars of extra large size, in the center of which are gun ports 6. On the inside of the steel casing, the door 3 is securely held in a locked position by the means of a bar 8, which is supported in bearings 9. Secured to one side of the inner Wall of the casing as indicated by the numeral 10 is a ladder 11, which is hingedly connected at as 12 to provide supporting legs 13, so that when the ladder is placed in position as indicated in Fig. 2, the guard within the casing can climb up the ladder and will be in a position to see and operate a gun through the gun portion 6 in the large stars formed in the banner 5.

The floor of the casing is provided with a manhole 14%, which can be removed when the casing is positioned over a trap door, so that the guard positioned therein, can remove the manhole and pass through the trap door in the floor, not shown and reach the exterior of the building and sound an alarm.

In order to warn the guard within the casing that an attempted hold-up of the bank is being made, an alarm 15 which is usually in the form of a bell is placed within the casing, and is adapted to be rung through a circuit 16 by the closing of a switch 17, which can be conveniently placed within the reach of the employees of the bank, Upon ringing of the bell 15, the guard Within the casing can immediately climb up on the ladder 11 and assume an active position for firing.

The top of the casing is provided with a skylight or manhole cover 18, which can be opened when so desired to permit the interior of the casing to be well ventilated,

and a hook 19 is secured to one of the side walls of the casing above the ladder 11, so that when not in use, the ladder 11 can be swung up and suspended from the hook 19, thus being out of the way.

Each of the gun ports 6 are to be closed by means of a cover plate ,20, which is pivotally positioned on the interior walls of the casing.

From the foregoing description of my invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it can be readily seen that I have not only provided a device to prevent robberies of banks, bonding houses, railway mail cars and other places, but also presented a device for accomplishing this purpose that is simple in construction, durable, and one that can be manufactured and installed in certain places as may be desired at a relatively low cost, and furthermore, it can be readily seen that I have provided a device of this character which is also ornamental in design and will add to the attractiveness of such places as installed.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I realize that various minor changes may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed, therefore, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact details of construction shown, nor to the combination and arrangement of parts.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- In a bank protecting device, comprising a casing, gun ports formed in the walls of said casing, means for closing said gun ports, a trap door provided in the bottom of said casing, an alarm positioned within the casing and connected to an outside source of current and operated by a switch positioned at a predetermined place within the bank and a folding ladder supported by the inner walls of the casing and so positioned that a guard within the casing may climb to the top of said casing to have an unobstructed view of the interior of the bank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN MIITNACHT, JR. 

